The intricate art of Comic Con cosplay

If you don't know what cosplay is, gone is the time for ignorance or apathy. The art of dressing up in intricate costumes as fictional characters has been around for decades, but it has recently embraced a new level of interactivity and role play at major conventions like New York Comic Con.

The cosplay community has always been a hub of passionate creativity and ingenuity. As NYCC and other fan conventions grow to unprecedented levels of popularity, cosplay is also attracting more fans than ever. Mashable caught up with cosplay veterans Stella Chuu and Dhareza Maramis as they prepared for NYCC and worked diligently to make their cosplays extraordinary.

"For a lot of people their drives are different," Maramis said. "For mine, it's bringing to life this character that I love." He based a Batman cosplay off the Dawn of Justice teaser, with only 4.7 seconds of footage off which to base his efforts.

Chuu has been cosplaying since high school, though at the time she didn't have a word for it. "I was just kind of like 'Oh, this is an anime, and we're going to dress up from it,'" Chuu said. Now Chuu describes cosplay as "part of my blood."

Cosplayers are used to negativity and stigma in online comments, but Maramis said that the positive feedback far outweighs any detraction. After all, the point is to feel free, to embrace something you love and to play.

Mashable
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